Local charity issues a new appeal for volunteers in Newton Aycliffe to help local school children with reading.
With the new academic year well underway for schools across Newton Aycliffe, it’s a critical time for the local team at Beanstalk – a local charity which trains and places reading helpers in primary schools and early years settings.
“We need to ensure we have enough trained volunteers ready to deliver one-to-one reading support to those pupils who need extra support and encouragement with their reading to prevent them from falling further behind,” explains Julie Duncan, Beanstalk’s local Team Leader. “We have several vacancies for reading helpers around the Newton Aycliffe area that we urgently need to fill as soon as possible, so we would like to hear from anyone who thinks they may be able to spare a few hours a week to provide support and encouragement to struggling readers.”
New statistics released by the Department of Education reveal that over 1,200 primary school leavers in County Durham did not achieve the expected level in reading in the last academic year. This means that a large proportion of children in the local area are still being left behind without the key literacy skills they need to give them the best possible start in life.
Being a reading helper can be a life changing experience for the volunteers themselves as well as for the children that receive the support. If you can spare a few hours a week to make a meaningful difference to children who struggle with reading around Newton Aycliffe and the surrounding areas, please visit www.beanstalkcharity.org.uk or call 0845 450 0307 to find out more about the Charity’s work and how you can sign up as a Beanstalk reading helper.
Beanstalk provides full training and ongoing support to all volunteers.